I'll gladly concede the division if it guarantees us a healthy Ben come playoff time.

^^THIS!!!^^^

PITT has very winnable games against CLEV, SD, CLEV, DAL, and CINCY... and they almost beat BALT. They need 4 wins to make the play-offs, and I can easily see that happening.

Last year, the SF showed us: a healthy BB makes all the difference. Furthermore, if BB is healthy, he does not get sacked at the end of regulation in the DENV play-off game, and they kick a FG... and possibly go on to the SuperBowl (last year's play-offs were very watered down, to me).

Well, realistically all that needs to happen is the rib need to grow back together, some people just heal faster, if it is fully healed then the risk is gone. So we can hope. And realistically we can still win the div as Balty will get crushed by the Broncos and we could still beat them at there place. Giving us both 4 losses, who else do they play that is better than average? Giants should be starting their annual hot streak soon right?

Heal, Ben, heal. I'm told Ben Roethlisberger still has pain with many simple movements, seven days after he suffered shoulder and first rib injuries in the Monday-nighter against Kansas City, and anyone forecasting a week for him to return is guessing. Roethlisberger has no sense when he'll be able to return. But according to Dr. Clark Fuller, the director of Thoracic Surgery at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., Roethlisberger has to be careful about returning too soon because of damage it can do to nerves in the right shoulder and arm, major blood vessels in the area, and, as Roethlisberger admitted last week, the aorta around the heart.

"This is not about being a tough guy,'' said Fuller, who has neither examined Roethlisberger nor seen his X-rays or scans. So he made it clear he was speaking generally about the dislocation of the first rib, which is connected to the breast bone on one side and the spine on the other. A throwing motion, he said, would not allow the rib to heal, and he would not recommend it any time soon. "Playing football with a dislocated first rib would put you at severe risk. There are many things to be concerned about, including destroying the nerves in the arm.''

Fuller said he thought Roethlisberger would miss a minimum of four weeks. "I do remember their coach, Mike Tomlin, not allowing that safety [Ryan Clark] to play in altitude in Denver because of his sickle-cell disease,'' Fuller said. "That is a good sign, to me. I believe he won't risk the health of Roethlisberger."

But according to Dr. Clark Fuller, the director of Thoracic Surgery at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., Roethlisberger has to be careful about returning too soon because of damage it can do to nerves in the right shoulder and arm, major blood vessels in the area, and, as Roethlisberger admitted last week, the aorta around the heart.

"This is not about being a tough guy,'' said Fuller, who has neither examined Roethlisberger nor seen his X-rays or scans. So he made it clear he was speaking generally about the dislocation of the first rib, which is connected to the breast bone on one side and the spine on the other. A throwing motion, he said, would not allow the rib to heal, and he would not recommend it any time soon. "Playing football with a dislocated first rib would put you at severe risk. There are many things to be concerned about, including destroying the nerves in the arm.''

Ben is in the prime of his career and barring severe injury should be a top flight QB for years to come

In terms of both protecting the cornerstone of the franchise and the simple decency of not knowingly exposing someone to catastrophic injury (as Tomlin has done by refusing to let Ryan Clark play in Denver) Ben needs to sit until he heals. If that means the season is in the dumpster by the time he can return in week 16 agsint the Bengals so be it

Ben is in the prime of his career and barring severe injury should be a top flight QB for years to come

In terms of both protecting the cornerstone of the franchise and the simple decency of not knowingly exposing someone to catastrophic injury (as Tomlin has done by refusing to let Ryan Clark play in Denver) Ben needs to sit until he heals. If that means the season is in the dumpster by the time he can return in week 16 agsint the Bengals so be it

Yup. Spot on. It would be ludicrous to put him in against the Ravens. Let him fully heal.

No, I don't see it either. BEST case scenarios have him out 3 weeks minimum. Realistically, we could be looking at 4-6 weeks. Can't find the article now, but I read there is chance of nerve damage to his arm as well if he comes back too soon.
Best to err on the side of caution. If it were just a sprained ankle or something, I'd say have him back then...this is just a bit more serious though.

It was the Monday Morning QB article on CNNSI, where a Thoracic surgeon was speculating on possible issues.

If you want to do some reading. Look up : THORACIC OUTLET SYNDROME or PADGET-SCHROETTER.

-It involves compression of the subclavian vessels between the clavicle and 1st rib, which normally requires a 1st rib resection to heal. (yes, they remove your first rib). People with TOS sometimes lose all feeling or strength when they raise their arm above their head.........not so good for an NFL QB.

Ben is going to play whenever he gets the chance. If he doesn't have a timetable, then us speculating about one isn't helping. As Glazer said yesterday, anyone speculating on any time table what-so-ever has "no idea what they're talking about.". This isn't something we can do internet research on because we don't even know the full extent of his injury - fuck, he doesn't even know the full extent of his injury. It could be better or worse than once thought - we just don't know.